The Way We Were
by pexylexy
Summary: edward/jasper, with a bit jasper/alice thrown in Things had to end someday... oh, and Breaking Dawn didn't happen. Seriously, it didn't!


Jasper couldn't believe it. Edward was sulking. Actually and honest to God sulking. Sulking, when Edward was the last person in this house to have the right to do it.

And when you had forever at hand, the words 'holding a grudge' took on a whole new meaning. A grudge didn't last hours, days or weeks. It lasted years, decades or centuries.

Jasper was momentarily distracted from the other vampire by Alice whose head was resting comfortably in his lap and who gave a satisfied purr when his long fingers threaded absent-mindedly through her hair.

It didn't take Jasper long to reach the decision that he had to talk to him for the bitterness and resentment Edward was spilling out in a constant stream were just too much to take. Just when he was about to get up he felt Alice's hand on his chest.

"You don't really want to do that now, honey..." Jasper quirked an eyebrow at her, lips twisting into a smirk when Alice moved to straddle him. "What do I want to do then?"

"Mmmmh... you haven't decided yet... but I'm starting to like the direction this is going in..." She leaned down and captured Jasper's lips in a lingering kiss that they only ended with reluctance when Emmett coughed pointedly. "Ugh! Get a room you two, there are other people living here as well!"

Jasper was more than willing to follow Alice's lead upstairs but Edward pushing past them to leave had his decision wavering once more. Alice's hand slid out of his a moment later, instead coming to rest on his hip. "Go, talk to him... you know you want to..."

An apologetic smile flashed over Jasper's lips before he bent down to place a soft kiss on her lips. "Thanks darlin'... I'll make it up to you later, promise..."

He was already halfway out the door when Alice's voice reached him once more. "Hey Jazz, go easy on him... he doesn't mean it..."

Jasper gave a nod before darting out the door and into the forest, following Edward's trail until he found the other vampire in the clearing, not looking too happy about the intruder.

"Anything you want to tell me or do you just want to continue being all passive-aggressive?" Jasper tried to keep his voice even but still a small angry tremor managed to sneak its way in.

Edward didn't answer and hadn't it been for the twitch in his jaw Jasper would have thought he hadn't even listened. Jasper willed himself to calm down, stepping a bit closer.

"Edward... can you please just tell me what's wrong? I don't like guessing and..."

"Don't you miss the way we were? This is not what we deserve, this is not how things should have ended between us! How do you think it feels to see Alice all over you and you not even caring to talk to me anymore?"

Edward finally let go, his usually so carefully guarded self-control gone in a flash, leaving his eyes blazing with anger, desire, _passion_.

Jasper stayed silent for a moment, letting the words sink in, before finally coming up with a response.

"And you think that's my fault?"

"Of course it's your fault! You let me go! What about all that 'You're mine, I'm yours'? Miraculously vanished? All gone? All _lies_?"

Jasper took it all in, accepting each blow, no matter how hard the words stung. Once Edward finally quietened, he straightened and let his eyes meet their golden counterparts, the feelings they were holding almost too much to bare.

"It wasn't my idea to end it this way. The moment you turned her, the moment you gave her... don't, let me finish." Jasper insisted when Edward was about to interrupt him. "The moment you gave her immortality, the only thing I always had over her, the only thing no-one else but me could give you, you made your decision. What did you expect me to do? Stand by and pretend I'm fine with it? I know I'm seeing things black and white here, but I can't stand the grey anymore. You chose her, regardless of my claim on you, and I accepted it. We can't go on like that. You said so yourself, it's not what either of us deserves. And now please, let it go... I know it's hard but you have to let it go, for both of our sakes. Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

Jasper hands rested heavily on Edward's shoulders, eyes boring into each other.

"Please, Edward."

"Maybe we just haven't tried hard enough. This could..."

"No. You have to let me go. Please."

Jasper lightly brushed their lips together one last time before taking a few steps back.

"I'm sorry it had to end like this. But I have to do this, for myself. Someday you'll see that it's for the better."

Jasper was about to turn to make his way back to the house but stopped halfway.

"Hey, Edward?"

Their eyes met again, sadness present in both pairs.

"I do miss the way we were."

The soft wind carried the whispered 'thank you, Jazz' to him before Jasper eventually turned his back on Edward, finally putting that part of his life to rest for good. For both their sakes. And for Alice.


End file.
